Rationalist Theory

My understanding of Aldo Rossi’s principles for architecture is that he doesn’t believe in a set form for a specific use, but he does believe in using forms which we know and are common for functions which they are suited. Therefore while his Modena Cemetery appears surrealist and therefore not rationalist, his forms are used in such a way that they suit the purpose of a cemetery. His idea that architecture is a discipline autonomous of sculpture and painting seems to be a direct criticism of architects who build according to form and solely for compositional aesthetics.

Invisible Cities by Calvino also spoke of cities whose existence lie mainly in memories, but I’m not sure if Rossi means the same as Calvino. To me, Rossi seems to see cities in our memories as a type, but what actually results in a city in the physical form will inevitably vary or not fulfill the type fully. Still, according to Rossi, a city’s meaning changes through time as its meanings and relationships to its surroundings and its inhabitants change. Calvino also wrote about that same principle, in which different people sees different things in the city. They’re roughly contemporaries, and both worked in Italy, so I wonder if they knew and influenced each other.

I think Rossi has a very romantic view of what architecture is, despite his method being called rationalism. Still, I think using common forms in a different way is very appropriate in the case of Modena Cemetary, because it creates a sense of displacement, initial, confusion, and alienation.